Gakushi Genzō
Gakushi Genzō (幻像楽師, lit; Phantom Master Musician) is a traveling musician with no country that she calls her own. Born to a traveling musical troupe who all excel in genjutsu via a Kekkei Genkai that has spanned generations, Gakushi showed true prowess in the art at an age younger than anyone else in the troupe. Her exceptional skill in the troupe's Kekkei Genkai is demonstrated in her beautiful playing of her most cherished instrument, the kantele. Her exquisite playing is known to calm the minds of even the most troubled individuals, who find themselves in a state of peace as she plays. She is part of the new generation of the troupe, which consists of her, and her "sisters", Jiyūki and Kitachi. With their combined Kekkei Genkai prowess, they can move entire countries with their instrumental talents. Background Gakushi was born on a blustery day in October, and from the start, her parents knew she was going to be special. They taught her how to play the kantele from the moment she was big enough to hold it, showing her how to play complex chords and beautiful melodic fills. She cherished the kantele as a treasure. Her powers of the troupe's Kekkei Genkai, called Music Release, flourished when she was six, when she was able to bring a rowdy crowd of people to a standstill with her beautiful playing. They found themselves completely forgetting what they were angry about, and they all went their own way, with a few of them donating to Gakushi's music. The troupe knew then that she was truly gifted in the art of the troupe's Music Release, having showed an exceptional talent in it at such a young age. When was was twelve, she was made head of the next generation of the troupe, and was accompanied by two girls who she would consider her sisters; Jiyūki, a softspoken and quiet individual who plays her flute like an artist, and the brash Kitachi, who uses a set of small taiko drums, fueling her endless energy into her powerful percussion skills. The three continue to travel the world to this day, inspiring people from all walks of life with their beautiful and emotionally powerful music. Appearance Though quite modest in her appearance and saying she's rather average looking, Gakushi is considered beautiful within the troupe itself. With long, flowing brown hair topped by a tulip hat, her hair is overshadowed in its beauty by her striking gray eyes, which seem to change color depending on the light shining into her eyes. She is fairly tall for her age, though a bit on the thinner side due to her vegetarian diet. The color scheme of her outfit is a mix of light blue and grey, with a form fitting jacket and skirt, complemented with grey, knee high stockings and brown shoes. Personality To say Gakushi is humble would be a vast understatement. Always appreciated and respective of her elders, Gakushi walks through life with a simple viewpoint, with the goal of making people happy. People who listen to her music consider it to be a beautiful artform, but she often downplays herself, lending credence to her fellow troupemates who she believes helps complete her music. She is kindhearted and open to many ideologies that promote peaceful lifestyles. Abilities Gakushi is not a fighter in any sense of the word. She is a pacifist by heart and chooses to avoid a fight by alternative methods such as talking things through and deescalating the situation however possible. She was never trained to fight, and doesn't really know much in the way of combat. However, if she feels she is threatened enough, and no alternatives to deescalate the situation are possible, Gakushi falls back on her darker side of troupe's Music Release. Kekkei Genkai When a dangerous situation reaches a boiling point, and Gakushi feels her life, or the life of her troupemates, have been threatened in some way, she falls back to using the darker side of her Music Release; complete fear response manipulation. As she channels her Music Release into her kantele, it begins manipulating the target's fight-or-flight response. From here, she can do several things; she can turn the target against their companions and have them fight each other, she can freeze the targets in their tracks long enough to make an escape, or even flood their survival instincts into fear, forcing them to run away. Due to its nature as a Kekkei Genkai, it functions much differently than standard genjutsu. The standard form of genjutsu utilizes chakra to fool the target into thinking a specific scenario is playing out, but can generally be seen through by those skilled in genjutsu, or those with a dōjutsu. Gakushi's Music Release works completely differently; instead of utilizing chakra, the instrument itself is amplified, creating a tunnel-like soundwave that affects only those the "tunnel" reaches out to. These soundwaves, in Gakushi's case, manipulate the fight-or-flight response, triggering a survival instinct that can either cause the target to lash out against their companions, completely freeze in place, or outright run in fear. She can also use this on allies, removing the fear factor of the fight-or-flight instincts, allowing them to fight more effectively as long as she continues to play.